2012 Buyer's Guide: Aerodynamic Bikes

Blue AC1 SL - $7,950

1 / 11

Blue overhauled the AC1 SL for 2012, and we were fearful that increased stiffness or weight savings would result in a less-pleasing ride. Adjustments to the carbon material and layup lightened the frame by 110 grams (a medium is now claimed at 1,040 grams). Blue also says the new, tapered head tube is 4 percent stiffer. The seat and down tubes are taller in order to increase their aerodynamic efficiency. The company also claims its bottom bracket remains one of the stiffest in the category. Like many aero bikes, the AC1 SL sounds like a jet engine winding up for takeoff when it’s rolling, amplifying road noise with a whoosh—our own version of a sonic boom—that makes you feel fast.